LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِMarch 17/2011

Bible Of The Day
Matthew 12/38-45: " Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 12:39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 12:41 The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here. 12:42 The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here. 12:43 But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and doesn’t find it. 12:44 Then he says, ‘I will return into my house from which I came out,’ and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 12:45 Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation
 

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
The specter of Salafi radicalism/By: Mona Alami/March 16/11
Monopolizing Weapons…and Other Monopolies/By: Elias Harfoush/March 16/11
Dancing on Embers/By: Ghassan Charbel/March 16/11

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for March 16/11
Eight killed as Bahrain police storm protest camp in Pearl Square/News Agencies/Haaretz
Syrian security forces disperse Damascus demonstration/Now Lebanon
Syrian ambassador meets with newly-elected patriarch/Now Lebanon
Iran on arms seizure: 'Zionist regime is full of lies/By JPOST
Egypt intercepts weapons from Sudan bound for Gaza/By JPOST
Israel Seizes Ship Loaded With Arms That Was Bound for Egypt/New York Times
Small, rare political protest held in Syria - witness/Reuters
Lebanese know how fast revolutions fade/GulfNews
Wikileaks: Hariri: Suleiman Assisting Syria and Hizbullah's Agendas/Naharnet
Wikileaks: Aoun: Lebanese are Obligated to Support Hizbullah/Naharnet
Wikileaks: Harb during July War: Hostilities Should Cease to Prevent Nasrallah from Turning into Rambo/Naharnet
Hariri in Tripoli for Meetings with al-Mustaqbal Supporters/Naharnet
Sources: No Hizbullah Condition on Miqati to Cut Ties with Tribunal/Naharnet
Hizbullah Slams Arab Military Intervention in Bahrain/Naharnet
Muallem Confident in March 8 Ability to Form Cabinet, Says he Won't Take his Jacket Off/Naharnet
Interior Ministry Stresses Compliance with U.N. Investigators Requests/Naharnet
Hundreds Protest in Tripoli against Wahhab's Remarks on Saudi Women/Naharnet
Mustaqbal Says Sunday Rally Stressed Importance of Putting Arms under State Control/Naharnet
Aoun: Verbal Attacks against Resistance an Attempt to Create Unrest, March 13 Rally's Agenda Doomed to Fail/Naharnet

Iranian Plane En Route to Syria Forced to Land in Turkey
Naharnet/An Iranian cargo plane en route to Syria was forced to land in Turkey's southeastern Diyarbakir airport for an inspection, security sources said Wednesday. The plane landed following an order from the Turkish foreign ministry citing suspicion of military or nuclear related cargo onboard, the sources said. The plane was still grounded at Diyarbakir airport on Wednesday where the search was ongoing, according to an Agence France Presse correspondent at the scene. The plane took off from Tehran on Tuesday night bound for the Syrian city of Aleppo, Anatolia news agency reported. Two Turkish F-16 fighter planes were put on standby to intervene if the Iranian plane did not obey the orders of Diyarbakir airport officials, security sources said.(AFP) Beirut, 16 Mar 11, 13:16

Interior Ministry Stresses Compliance with U.N. Investigators Requests
Naharnet/The interior ministry expressed Tuesday "extreme regret over the breach of the (U.N.) investigation's confidentiality through publishing information and sometimes proceedings which are supposed to be confidential," after a report published by The Daily Star newspaper accused Interior Minister Ziad Baroud of "procrastination" in responding to requests by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. As the ministry criticized media leaks, it stressed that it will continue to perform its duties, asking the caretaker cabinet to address the issue "as no minister should be unwarrantedly accused in light of the split in the country over such a major topic."In a letter addressed to The Daily Star, the ministry noted that the published material "raises concern regarding the fate of the classified information," calling on STL Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare to "open an investigation into the leaks … to prevent political exploitation."
As to the issue of fingerprints, the ministry said it had received an official request from the STL aimed at obtaining the fingerprints records kept at the ministry, noting that the STL had not defined the number of the fingerprints needed.
"To provide a copy of the fingerprints records kept by the Ministry of Interior, preferably in an electronic version," the ministry quoted STL's application as saying. "The ministry responded in writing, noting that the application included, in the formula used, a request for more than four million fingerprints" available at the ministry, asking the investigators "in the same memo to limit their request to a reasonable number that would serve the investigation," the interior ministry said in a statement.
It revealed that the investigators "responded to this suggestion and obtained hundreds of fingerprints," noting that "the investigators asked to compare the electronic version of the fingerprints with their hard copies, whose number exceeds four million and which have been kept since 1996, unfortunately in a random manner, in two depots." "The investigators inspected the depots and realized that the process of collecting all the files needed would require the sorting and the archiving of the documents, which would require a long time, expertise and financial resources," the ministry added. "These circumstances had led to an inevitable delay, which cannot be considered as procrastination," the ministry stressed.
The ministry insisted that it had met all requests for interviewing its employees by the investigators.
As to the issue of birth certificates requested by the STL, the ministry said that the request was being processed. Earlier, The Daily Star quoted a source close to the probe into ex-PM Rafik Hariri's murder as saying that Bellemare has narrowed down his requested fingerprint records to only 10 individuals and 24 birth certificates. Despite Bellemare's new move, Minister Baroud is still procrastinating, the source told the English language daily in remarks published Tuesday. Last month, the newspaper said that Baroud and three other caretaker ministers turned down requests from Bellemare to provide information and documents, in breach of the cooperation protocol signed with the U.N. A new document obtained by The Daily Star and a source close to the investigation said Bellemare's office had initially requested access to Lebanon's fingerprints records in 2009 but later refined his request to 900 records before narrowing it down to just 10 records and 24 birth certificates by late last year. An interior ministry source confirmed that the ministry had not responded to the initial request "because it concerns individuals and it was highly sensitive."  The majority of Bellemare's requests were about interviewing some witnesses in several departments that were affiliated to the ministry. These requests were answered with reservation and the STL was only given copies of some documents and not the originals, said the daily. Other requests concerning the Department of Personal Civil Status Affairs at the ministry, which were more complex, especially those in two letters sent by Bellemare's office on Nov. 6, 2009, and Nov. 11, 2010, were still pending, sources told The Daily Star. Beirut, 15 Mar 11, 23:33

Iran on arms seizure: 'Zionist regime is full of lies'
By JPOST.COM STAFF
03/16/2011 10:27
Iranian Army Commander-General denies sending weapons to Gaza on "Victoria" ship; Hamas also claims weapons weren't for them. The Iranian Army's Commander-General denied on Wednesday that Iran was connected to the weapons found aboard the Victoria. "The Zionist regime's diet is mixed with lies, lies and more lies," Gen. Amir Ataollah Salehi said. "We deny all false reports." Analysis: Israel’s shadow war against Iran ."The Zionist regime is a usurper," he added. "There is an Islamic awakening throughout the Middle East and North Africa that sees the damage." Salehi said "there is no doubt that Israel is calculating its losses since the departure of the Egyptian Pharoh. God willing, they will sink to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea."He added that "next year the armed forces of the Islamic Republic will be stronger than ever." A Hamas spokesman also denied that the weapons aboard the Victoria was headed for them, Israel Radio reported on Wednesday. The IDF intercepted a cargo vessel, called the Victoria, en route from Turkey to Egypt on Tuesday. The ship was found to contain advanced weaponry, including anti-ship missiles labeled in Farsi, as well as manuals explaining how to use them in Farsi. The ship was boarded by several teams of commandos from Flotilla 13, known as the Shayetet, and reached the Ashdod port overnight Tuesday.**Yaakov Katz contributed to this report.

Egypt intercepts weapons from Sudan bound for Gaza
By JPOST.COM STAFF
03/16/2011 00:59
Egyptian security officials say mortars, RPGs, rifles and explosives meant to reach Hamas through smuggling tunnels seized after shootout. Egyptian security officials on Tuesday said that Egypt's army captured five vehicles smuggling weapons into the country from Sudan, and apparently heading to Gaza, AP reported. The officials said the vehicles were seized on Sunday after a shootout during which the drivers fled. They said the trucks, which were captured inside Egypt near the Sudanese border, carried large quantities of mortars, rocket propelled grenades, rifles and explosives, reported AP The officials said the weapons were headed to Hamas in Gaza through smuggling tunnels. The IDF also seized a freighter ship with dozens of tons of weaponry from Iran headed for Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. The ship, known as Victoria, was flying a Liberian flag, and was seized by the navy in the Mediterranean Sea, 200 miles off of Israel's coast.

Israel’s shadow war against Iran
By YAAKOV KATZ
03/16/2011 01:48 /J.Post
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=212322
The seizure of the 'Victoria' cargo ship is just another chapter in the larger covert war that Israel is waging against Iran.
Israel waged war against Iran on Tuesday. No Iranians were present and not a single shot was fired, but make no mistake – the seizure of the Victoria cargo ship is part of Israel’s battle against Iran, one that is fought in the shadows and sometimes in the most unlikely places.
When the commandos from the navy’s Flotilla 13 approached the ship under cover of darkness late Monday night, they still did not know what to expect. Only as they made their final approach toward the ship, some 320 km. west of Israel, did Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu give his final approval to board the vessel.
In such cases, the risk is huge, and for this reason the Foreign Ministry was on standby with officials ready to contact Germany and Liberia. A German company owns the ship, and it was flying a Liberian flag.
After contacting the captain of the ship by radio, the commandos climbed aboard and, encountering no resistance, began a brief search of the cargo. They went to the “suspicious” containers, the ones that were loaded at the Syrian port of Latakia and were slated to be unloaded at the Egyptian port of Alexandria, according to the cargo manifest.
The commandos found the containers fitted with heavy locks, unusual for shipments of lentils and cotton. Behind a row of sacks, they found what they were looking for: crates of mortar shells, and then the real prize – the C-704 anti-ship missiles. The seizure of the Victoria was not impressive for the quantity of arms found – the Francop cargo ship captured by Israel in late 2009 was carrying 10 times more weaponry – but for the quality. The C-704 is an anti-ship missile made in China and used by Iran, which calls it the Nasr. Like surface-to-air missiles, the C-704 is the type of weapon that Israel fears could shift the balance of power in the region and undermine its operational freedom.
But while the discovery is impressive and was the result of major intelligence and operational efforts, it is just another chapter in the larger covert war that Israel is waging against Iran and its terror proxies throughout the Middle East, and joins a long list of similar special operations that have taken place in recent years.
The battle against Iranian arms shipments to Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas is extremely complicated and involves unprecedented coordination between Israel and its allies, primarily the United States.Israel boards dozens of ships annually, and hundreds more are questioned by radio at sea. In the case of the Victoria, Israel had intelligence that the ship might be carrying weaponry, but there is never certainty until the ship is boarded and the weapons are found. One senior official described the mood in the navy command center as being so tense that a knife could have cut through the air.For Iran and Hamas, the seizure of the Victoria is a major blow. But it will not stop Iran from trying other ways to get advanced weaponry to its proxies, such as Hamas and Hezbollah. In many cases, Iran has succeeded. In 2009, during Operation Cast Lead, Hamas did not have rockets that could hit Tel Aviv. Today it does. The route that the Victoria took was of particular interest for the navy. In the past, a number of ships were tracked as they sailed through the Red Sea and unloaded weaponry in Sudan or Eritrea, which made its way by land up to the Egyptian-Gaza border. In this case, the ship was loaded in Syria, then sailed north to Turkey and then back south again to Egypt. This route led intelligence officials in Israel to believe that the stopover at the Turkish port of Mersin was a ploy to draw attention away from the ship. The decision to transfer the weaponry directly to Egypt could mean that Iran is encountering difficulty in the traditional land route through Egypt. This could have to do with Israeli efforts to stop the shipments, but the Egyptians are also believed to be making a greater effort to stop arms convoys from crossing into the country from its southern border with Sudan. A few days ago, the Egyptian military attacked such a convoy with artillery shells, preventing it from entering the country.

Hizbullah Slams Arab Military Intervention in Bahrain
Naharnet/Hizbullah has criticized Arab military intervention in Bahrain, saying it would hamper efforts at finding a peaceful solution to a pro-democracy uprising in the kingdom.
"Military intervention and the use of force against a peaceful popular movement will not lead to a solution and will complicate matters while hampering chances of finding a solution," the party said in a statement late Tuesday. Hizbullah was referring to the deployment of more than 1,000 troops from Saudi Arabia and 500 police from the United Arab Emirates into neighboring Bahrain to quell mounting anti-government protests. Hizbullah said it was concerned about attacks against the protesters and questioned Washington's role in the latest developments taking place in the strategically and financially important kingdom, home to the U.S. Navy's fifth fleet. The protests, led by the country's majority Shiites, prompted Bahrain's Sunni king on Tuesday to declare a three-month state of emergency.(AFP)

Discrepancy on Fate of New Cabinet as Miqati-Aoun Meeting Imminent
Naharnet/Political sources expected the government to be formed next week although Caretaker Minister Jebran Bassil was more pessimistic, saying "no agreement has yet been reached on any detail." Sources close to Premier-designate Najib Miqati told An Nahar and As Safir newspapers in remarks published Wednesday that things are heading in the right direction and the cabinet could be announced soon, most possibly early next week. Political sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat that Miqati would meet with Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun soon but is awaiting final agreement on the cabinet before holding talks with the Change and Reform bloc leader who has been holding onto demands to get the interior ministry portfolio which was part of President Michel Suleiman's share in the caretaker cabinet. Meanwhile, a March 8 source said that a flurry of political activity has been launched involving Miqati and leaders of the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance as well as Lebanese and Syrian officials aimed at accelerating the formation of the government. "All matters have been put on the table. Intensive meetings will be held tonight and tomorrow involving Lebanese and Syrian officials with the aim of clearing the way for the government's formation," the source told The Daily Star in remarks published Wednesday. However, sources told al-Hayat that Syria is not interfering in the cabinet formation process and backs local efforts to overcome Aoun's demands. Beirut, 16 Mar 11, 09:23

Hariri in Tripoli for Meetings with al-Mustaqbal Supporters
Naharnet/Caretaker Premier Saad Hariri is scheduled to hold meetings with al-Mustaqbal leaderships and supporters in the northern port city of Tripoli on Wednesday. As Safir daily said Hariri went to Tripoli on Tuesday night and is expected to reside at the Quality Inn hotel for three days. Sources close to the Mustaqbal movement leader said that Hariri would wrap up his visit to Tripoli with a rally at the Rashid Karami International Fair Complex on Friday. Hariri told delegations from Beirut families that visited him at the Center House on Tuesday night that "arms spread in cities and alleys … are threatening the security and stability of the Lebanese." He vowed to continue his campaign against Hizbullah's arms until the state and the Lebanese army take control of them. Hariri reiterated that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon would continue to operate despite efforts to target it. Beirut, 16 Mar 11, 08:30

Wikileaks: Hariri: Suleiman Assisting Syria and Hizbullah's Agendas
Naharnet/A Wikileaks report revealed that caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri had advised the international community to keep Syria and Iran in a state of "imbalance".He added, according to the leaked cable published exclusively in Al-Akhbar newspaper on Wednesday, that despite Hizbullah's claims of victory in the July 2006 war, the party was in fact greatly harmed in the war and it is weaker politically and militarily. Furthermore, Hariri revealed that Speaker Nabih Berri had forced Hizbullah to accept the deployment of the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon, which according to the PM "is the beginning of the end for Hizbullah."He stated: "Berri's power should be bolstered through the deployment and through international aid in reconstructing the South, where he would play a major role in the process." In addition, Hariri requested that the his comments remain secret, saying that then President Emile Lahoud, Army Commander Michel Suleiman, and army intelligence chief George Khoury should be removed from their positions because they are assisting Syria and Hizbullah's agendas. The cable said that Hariri strongly wanted Lahoud and Suleiman's removal through international pressure on Syria and Iran. Beirut, 16 Mar 11, 12:31

Berri Hopes al-Rahi Would Unite Lebanese, Oil Exploration Will be the Priority of the Next Cabinet
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri hoped on Wednesday that newly-elected Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi would unite the Lebanese rather than stand at the same distance from everyone.Berri made the statement to reporters after congratulating al-Rahi in Bkirki. In remarks to An Nahar and As Safir dailies, the speaker reiterated the need to speed up the cabinet formation process and said "it wasn't acceptable to waste more time anymore." Berri called for dealing with the daily problems of the Lebanese, including social and economic issues, away from the political bickering. Berri criticized the government's inability to make any progress on the oil exploration issue, pointing out that Syria began preparing for bidding and Israel already made a second agreement with Cyprus. "Oil exploration is the victim of the current political vacuum," he said. He stressed on the importance of starting the bidding for an oil exploration company even during the caretaker cabinet, not wasting more time and protecting "our natural resources from Israel." "This issue would of course be among the priorities of the next cabinet," the speaker said. Beirut, 16 Mar 11, 08:03

Wikileaks: Harb during July War: Hostilities Should Cease to Prevent Nasrallah from Turning into Rambo
Naharnet/A leaked U.S. Embassy cable revealed that current caretaker Labor Minister Butros Harb was concerned that a Hizbullah victory in the July 2006 war would increase the party's power in the country. The Wikileaks cable, which dates back to the July 2006 war, said that Harb believed that the war is loaded with victims, but it lacks in achievements.
He added that he had expected Israel to achieve a swift victory in the war, but that did not happen, said the cable published exclusively in Al-Akhbar on Wednesday. Harb was also concerned that Hizbullah's victory would increase the party's power in the country because it would have "broken the legend of the Israeli army" and garnered international sympathy. He warned that sympathy for the group was increasing, bolstering its image as a hero, but the Lebanese believe that Hizbullah does not care about protecting human life and they cannot express their true feelings because it would appear that they are opposing the Resistance and supporting Israel. He also voiced his disappointment that Hizbullah does not seem to be weakening in the war, stressing that the war should be halted in order to prevent Nasrallah from turning into a "Rambo figure in the region."He also expected that Lebanon and the region would face a disaster if Hizbullah emerged from a war more powerful than before. Beirut, 16 Mar 11, 12:21

Wikileaks: Aoun: Lebanese are Obligated to Support Hizbullah
Naharnet/A leaked U.S. Embassy cable revealed that Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun considers Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as a more trustworthy figure than those in the March 14 camp.The cable, published exclusively in Al-Akhbar newspaper on Wednesday, showed Aoun's insistence that all Lebanese are obligated to support Hizbullah in its confrontation with Israel. Beirut, 16 Mar 11, 12:28

Mustaqbal Says Sunday Rally Stressed Importance of Putting Arms under State Control
Naharnet/The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday said that the Lebanese who commemorated Sunday the 6th anniversary of the Cedar Revolution had expressed their "rejection and confrontation against the attempts of terrorization and intimidation and the use of weapons to bully unarmed citizens who want to live in peace under the State's wings."In a statement issued after its weekly meeting in Qureitem under ex-PM Fouad Saniora, the bloc stressed "the major national stance expressed by the Lebanese on that occasion concerning commitment to resisting Israel and confronting its hostility against Lebanon through the weapons which must be put under the Lebanese State's authority."On a separate note, the bloc congratulated the Lebanese in general and the Christians and the Maronite sect in particular on the election of Beshara al-Rahi as the 77th Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. Beirut, 15 Mar 11, 21:02

Syrian Ambassador Invites al-Rahi to Damascus, Says 'We Want All the Best for Lebanon'
Naharnet/The Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon invited newly elected Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi to visit Syria in the near future, stressing that Damascus wants all the best for Lebanon. "The new Patriarch is invited to visit Syria where he's always welcomed," Ali Abdul Karim Ali said Wednesday in remarks to the press after visiting Bkirki to congratulate the patriarch. Ali relayed a message from Syrian President Bashar Assad to al-Rahi congratulating him on his election. "Syria wants all the best for Lebanon and Patriarch al-Rahi knows that," he said. Beirut, 16 Mar 11, 12:08

Syrian security forces disperse Damascus demo
March 16, 2011 /Syrian security forces on Wednesday dispersed a demonstration by dozens of relatives of prisoners near the interior ministry, AFP correspondents said.At least four protesters were arrested, the correspondents said, after the demonstrators gathered in a public square near the ministry in central Damascus.Dozens of supporters of President Bashar al-Assad held a counter-demonstration in the same square, they added.The families of 21 jailed human rights activists in Syria had announced plans to lobby Interior Minister Saeed Sammur for the release of their relatives, in a statement posted Saturday on the website of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.-AFP/NOW Lebanon

Syrian ambassador meets with newly-elected patriarch
March 16, 2011 /Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel Karim Ali visited Bkirki on Wednesday to meet with newly-elected Maronite Patriarch Beshara Boutros Rai.Ali said that his country “always” welcomes the patriarch, media outlets reported. “Cooperation is open with [Rai]…we hope to have fruitful [relations],” Ali added. “The patriarch is reassured by the relations of Lebanon and Syria.”Rai, 71, was elected to succeed the 91-year-old Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, who resigned recently after serving for 25 years as Patriarch of Antioch and the Levant for the Maronites.-NOW Lebanon

The specter of Salafi radicalism
Mona Alami, March 16, 2011
Radical Salafism has been a recurrent fear in Lebanon. The brutal 2000 conflict in the northern region of Donniyeh, which pitted Islamists against the Lebanese army, drove fears of the rise of Sunni Muslim extremism in the area. Radical Islamists were also suspected to be behind the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005, and in 2007 the Lebanese army fought a bloody three-month battle against the terrorist group Fatah al-Islam in the northern Nahr al-Bared Palestinian camp. More recently, in 2009 the village of Majdel Anjar and the northern city of Tripoli made front-page news, with rising insecurity and terrorist attacks blamed on the Salafi community.
It seems natural that the formation of a government led by March 8 – a political movement headed by Hezbollah, the Shia group historically at odds with the country’s radical Sunni movements – would trigger unrest among the Lebanese Salafi community. “A feeling of insecurity and desperation prevails over members of the Salafi community who feel marginalized by recent political developments,” said a Salafi sheikh from the Bekaa, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“There is growing resentment among the Salafists against the March 14 coalition, and more specifically the Future Movement, because of its lack of support to the community,” he added. “Unlike Hezbollah, which has staunchly defended its allies, March 14 has chosen to distance itself from [Salafists] after no further use could be made of them.”
But Hazem al-Amin, journalist and author of the “Lonely Salafi,” cautioned that Salafi movements can’t alone provide sufficient impetus to create large-scale conflict. “There are internal and local factors that contribute to the rise of radical Salafi movements,” he said. Salafi Sheikh Bilal Dokmak agrees. “The reaction of the Salafi groups will also largely depend on the political program that the new Hezbollah-led or -backed government will issue,” he said.
And the current feeling of marginalization is not only being experienced by the Salafi community, but by all of Lebanon, noted Akkar MP Khaled Daher.
While certain radical circles do endorse al-Qaeda’s ideas, the actual dream of an Islamic principality or emirate is not popular in Lebanon. The Nahr al-Bared war served as an example for many, the Bekaa sheikh said. “The sentiment is that any confrontation with the Lebanese army will be counterproductive in the long term for the Sunni community, whether it is of Palestinian or Lebanese origin,” he added.
In addition, in recent years, Hezbollah has either made agreements with or put pressure on high-profile members of the Salafi community, such as sheikhs Omar Bakri or Safwan Zohbi, to keep a lid on the spread of radical Sunni ideology. The recent choice of Najib Mikati, a Sunni billionaire from Tripoli who is respected by all the major Lebanese political camps, for prime minister could be another factor dulling the influence of Salafi groups, as could a political accord between March 8 and March 14.
Salafists are weakening elsewhere. “The movement, which had an organized network abroad, has been weakened in Iraq, while it is now beefing up its operations in Africa,” Amin said. “In Lebanon, it is following the evolution of the situation without participating directly. Lebanon is viewed as a country of transit for fighters and money-laundering operations,” he added.
While the recent political weakening of the Sunni Future Movement, a moderating element in the community, may enliven Salafists in the long-run, “I do not see this happening in the short term because of the absence of an outside trigger,” said Amin.
But not everybody thinks so. Two months ago, in an interview with the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV station about the power shift toward Hezbollah in Lebanon, Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said, “It's dangerous, particularly if it reaches separatism or the division of Lebanon. This would mean the end of Lebanon as a model of peaceful coexistence between religions and ethnicities and different factions.”
The reaction of the Salafi street depends on many things, most importantly the makeup and actions of the new government. And, with the whirlwind of changes blowing over the Middle East, nobody knows what the future may bring.

Monopolizing Weapons…and Other Monopolies
By: Elias Harfoush/Al Hayat
Tue, 15 March 2011
Hezbollah has gone through drastic changes since it first accepted to participate in politics in Lebanon. The party, whose resistance against Israel used to be the object of a quasi unanimous internal and regional acceptance, is now busy using the resistance credits earned in the past to improve its political position in the face of its internal adversaries. Thus, the party is no longer different, neither through its actions nor through its methods, than many of its predecessors that brandished the slogans of resistance in the region. [Hezbollah’s] latest campaign against its opponents went further than the regular political criticism and the respect of the others’ right to disagree, and accused those opponents of being traitors and foreign - and sometimes Israeli - agents. Also, under the pretext of being a resistance party, it is now granting itself the right to several monopolies – the monopolization of arms being but one of these. This is taking place although the circumstances of resistance action have drastically changed in the past five years with respect to the conditions and practical capacities due to the measures imposed by resolution 1701 on the field situation in the border zone. This situation is echoed in several other silent borders between Israel and the rest of the confrontation countries. However, this did not lead to a change in the language and slogans of “objection” brandished by those countries.
And in the framework of its internal battle, Hezbollah granted itself the right to distribute certificates of patriotism, in addition to the right of leading the project of the confrontation of Israel and the “imperialist and Zionist plans.” It is deeming itself the pioneer of the “objection” train of thought and the undisputed leader of the sides that adopt this train of thought in the region. These actions of the party are not new if compared to the legacy left by the similar movements such as the Nassirism, the Nationalism, the Baathism, the Islamism and others. These movements, under the slogans of the liberation of Palestine and the confrontation of the Western projects of hegemony, have climbed to the ruling platforms and have monopolized the capacities of the Arab populaces for decades. However, the promised liberation never came true, nor were the projects of hegemony aborted. On the contrary, a number of those movements ended up working on gaining the sympathy of the authors and perpetrators of the projects of hegemony, with the sole aim of remaining in power.
The long confrontation with Israel, which has been going on for more than six decades, has helped in the establishment of parties and organizations in the Arab region that found in the task of confronting Israel, a good technique to invest internally in confronting their opponents. Thus, they used this technique in order to hinder the freedom of expression, enhance prisons and detention camps, and block the road for any democratic movement. All this was carried out under the slogan of “no sound must rise above the sound of the battle.” As a result, every opposition voice was deemed a traitor, even if that opposition only aimed at internal reform, because this opposition was considered to represent “treason” of the higher nationalistic objective, the objective of liberation. But liberation remained farfetched as a result of the nature of the politics of hegemony and domination, as well as the major power imbalance. In order to achieve balance, there is a need, primarily, for an internal, sound and cohesive structure before weapons and military equipments.
Where did all this lead to? It led to a complete incapacity on the confrontation arena, a major collapse of the Arab defensive base, and broken regimes controlling their populaces by force while suffering on the domestic fronts much more than their suffering on the lines of the confrontation border [with Israel].
The sectarian structure of Lebanon has pushed Hezbollah to be more immersed in the internal politics and to have its activities tainted with a sectarian color compared to the national support it once had. The tool it is now using in the face of its adversaries is its proficiency in the field of resistance and “objection,” where the party outruns the others according to its own claims. However, the outcomes of this proficiency contradict with the rules of correct democratic work, which is based on giving equal chances to the competing parties. This has pushed Hezbollah to use the tools - that had been prepared to be used in the confrontation with Israel – in its internal confrontation, as it now believes that winning this confrontation is as important as winning the other confrontation, and even compensates it.

Dancing on Embers
Ghassan Charbel/Al Hayat
Mon, 14 March 2011
I do not know what Saad Hariri felt last night when TV channels showed scenes from the new rally in Martyrs’ Square. He is entitled to feel relieved and to consider that the March 14 camp retrieved its public and its pulse, and succeeded in filling the squares despite those who had left for the other side, either by choice or by force. It also gave the impression of overcoming the blows that targeted it, and succeeded in saying out loud what it had been secretly whispering. It represents a little more than half of the Lebanese, and declared in advance its no-confidence in Najib Mikati’s government, at least within his sect, and Mikati’s task in dealing with the issues of arms and the STL became more difficult. However, Saad Hariri will assuredly feel that this broad mandate is still deficient, and that the March 14 camp was not able to rule even when it enjoyed parliamentary majority. Also, the fact that it lacks serious representation within the Shia constituent keeps its broad mandate deficient.
I do not know what Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah felt last night when he followed his opponent’s rally. What happened is great, important, and serious. It was the first time that Hezbollah heard such a discourse about its arms and its program, and the first time that a crowd of such magnitude and representation voiced out its opposition against the resistance and its arms outside the control of the state. This is no trivial or simple matter. It was obvious that the strong March 8 camp, which represents a little less than half of the Lebanese, suffers from a deficiency in mandating, as it lacks any serious representation within the Sunni constituent. Such deficiency also applies to the resistance itself.
I do not know what Michel Aoun felt while watching the Martyrs’ Square rally. It is probable that he was not happy. The square was filled with people, despite his absence and withdrawal for years. He heard the speakers demand [the presence of] the state, its right to be the sole bearer of arms, and its duty to lead the resistance. These are the slogans he used to raise, and which allowed him to bring in followers. This man lost a historic opportunity to be the bridge between the two camps. I did not understand the justifications of his recent statements, which harmed the prime minister-designate and encouraged many to join the crowd yesterday. Saad Hariri should warmly thank him.
I do not know what Najib Mikati felt last night when he followed the scenes from Martyrs’ Square. The discourse was so open and difficult that it cannot be smoothed out at a later stage. He has no problem in providing a parliamentary majority that gives the government its confidence vote. This fact makes him feel there is a deficiency in the mandate in regard to the Lebanese structure. I do not know if this moderate and calm man felt that he took a risk when he accepted his danger-ridden task. There are heavy burdens, and he must convince the team that supports him; ease the anger of the opposing team; and convince the world that he did not come to isolate Lebanon from the international community.
I sometimes have simple and naïve questions. Have some people forgotten how dangerous it is to clash with Rafik Hariri’s blood? Would it not have been better to deal differently with the STL issue? Was there not a formula to lessen the damages incurred by the country and the parties that are afraid to be harmed by the indictment? Was the clash between the resistance supporters and Hariri’s supporters an inevitable fate or is it the result of miscalculations? Would it not have been better to give Walid Jumblatt the opportunity to be the bridge between the two camps, so that it would appear as if he was convinced, not subjected? Would it not have been better for the S-S initiative to succeed, regardless of its costs? Was it really necessary to remove Saad Hariri and destroy the last bridge? Does this or that camp have the right to hold on to the halo of sainthood of its martyrs and treat the other martyrs as if they were car accident victims?
The Lebanese have been spiraling on embers for six years. There is no solution other than a reconciliation among the martyrs, and a reconciliation among the living. There is no solution other than everyone to have the state and its institutions as reference. Anything other than this would mean that the two banks will remain unconnected by a bridge, the Lebanese will continue to dance on embers, and the truth, justice, resistance, and the blood of all the martyrs will be lost.

Eight killed as Bahrain police storm protest camp in Pearl Square
By News Agencies /Haaretz
At least five protesters have been killed in violent clashes in Bahrain Wednesday, said the head of the Shi'ite Muslim opposition bloc in parliament and health officials have reported the death of three policemen.
The three policemen were knocked down by protesters driving in cars at high speeds, the official said. The police were carrying out an operation to clear mainly Shi'ite Muslim protesters from a central roundabout where they had been camped out for weeks.
Anti-government protesters gesture in front of the Saudi embassy Tuesday, March 15, 2011, in Manama, Bahrain.
It was not clear how many protesters were hurt in the incident, though some reports claim hundreds have been injured in the fray.
"This is a war of annihilation. This does not happen even in wars and this is not acceptable," Abdel Jalil Khalil, a senior politician in Bahrain's largest Shi'ite party Wefaq, said.
Khalil told Reuters by telephone that, apart from clearing protesters from the Pearl roundabout, troops had fanned out across Bahrain, cutting off streets and arresting or firing at people who tried to cross.
Khalil said that private homes and funeral parlors were receiving casualties as troops had surrounded several hospitals. He called on qualified doctors to head to the nearest health center to help treat casualties.
The deaths came as military troops and security forces opened a large-scale assault on Wednesday against hundreds of anti-government protesters occupying a landmark square in Bahrain's capital. One day earlier, emergency rule was imposed on the country, sparking additional clashes in the already violence-wracked Gulf kingdom.
Police and military units fired tear gas as they pushed into Pearl Square, which has been the center of uprising against Bahrain's rulers since it began more than a month ago. Shooting was heard as the attack was launched shortly after daybreak, but there was no immediate word on casualties. Black smoke was seen rising from the square.
It was unclear whether the offensive included soldiers from other Gulf nations who were dispatched to help Bahrain's Sunni monarchy, which has been under relentless pressure from the country's majority Shiite Muslims to give up its monopoly on power.
Helicopters crisscrossed over the square, which was cleared by security forces late last month but was later retaken by protesters after a deadly confrontation with army units.
Protesters on Wednesday fled for cover into side streets. Clearing Pearl Square was more of a symbolic blow against protesters than a strategic victory for Bahrain's authorities. Opposition groups were still able to mobilize marches and other actions against the leadership.
Bahrain's king declared a three-month state of emergency on Tuesday and instructed the military to battle unrest in the strategic nation, which hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. Shortly after the announcement, clashes erupted across the island nation, killing at least two civilians. Saudi officials also said one of its soldiers was killed.
Bahrain's sectarian clash is increasingly viewed as an extension of the region's rivalries between the Gulf Arab leaders and Shiite powerhouse Iran.
Washington, too, is pulled deeply into the Bahrain's conflict because of its key naval base - the Pentagon's main Gulf counterweight to Iran's growing military ambitions.
On Tuesday, Iran and its allied force in Lebanon, Hezbollah, denounced the presence of foreign soldiers in Bahrain. Iran has no direct political links with Bahrain's main Shiite groups, but Iranian hard-liners have been known to call the tiny island nation the 14th Province of the Islamic Republic.
Gulf rulers, particularly Saudi Arabia, fear that the collapse of Bahrain's Sunni monarchy could spark further revolts across the region and embolden the Saudi Shiite minority whose home region is connected to Bahrain by a causeway.
The state of emergency in the U.S.-backed regime gives Bahrain's military chief wide authority to battle protesters demanding political reforms and equal rights for the Shiite majority.
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed alarm over provocative acts and sectarian violence, saying she telephoned Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud to emphasize the need for the foreign forces to promote dialogue.
"We call for calm and restraint on all sides in Bahrain," Clinton told reporters in Cairo, where she was encouraging the democratic currents that ousted Hosni Mubarak from power last month.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon authorized military family members and civilians with non-emergency jobs to leave Bahrain as violence spread.
The intervention of more than 1,000 Saudi-led troops from several Gulf nations was the first major cross-border military action to challenge the Bahrain revolt, part of the trend that has swept across the Arab world.
The Al Khalifa family has ruled Bahrain for 200 years.
The foreign troops are from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council's Peninsula Shield Force. The bloc is made up of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates - all largely Sunni countries who have been nervously watching the Arab world's protests.
A security official in Saudi Arabia said a Saudi sergeant was shot and killed by a protester in Bahrain's capital, Manama. No other details were immediately given on the death of the soldier, identified as Sgt. Ahmed al-Raddadi.
The Saudi official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.